Fredrik

Fredrik Johansson from Norrköping feels like a really interesting singer/songwriter who really tries to mix different styles and don´t dig himself down in the singer(songwriterstyle. Check out his records , they´re really worth to listen to

Please tell me everything about you, age , work, family and so on , and so on?

-I´m born 1976 and I grew up in little place which is called Skärblacka which is 17 kilometres from Norrköping. I´m working as a recreation leader on a place called Frinavet in Norrköping. I live in a two room apartment with my girlfriend Anna and our two cats Youda & Leia.

You comes from the punk you said when I talked with you, which band have you been in?

-Yeah, I have played with different punkbands with names like Pottan Flyger, Looo and other bands that no one knows which they are. I have played together some years now with Magnus Axelsson and Joakim Holm and Viktor Levin( Näsblod) which is/was the punkband Näsblod.

I have listened and still listen a whole lot to punk in different shapes. I feel more as a punk than a progressive. I don´t like the pretentious with the progressive music.  I like the straight foreward lyrics in the punk  and I try to write “punkpoetry” instead of difficult redwinepoetrylyrics.

Why do you think it´s often better when ”old” punks do this sort of music than when old ”heavymetallers” LIKE Patrik Isaksson do the same thing? 

-Metal poeple often write about dragons and demons(no prejudices here at all) And I don´t think that it suits with dragons and demons in this sort of music so must the punks political lyrics nearer to the singer/songwriterstyle than the heavymetallyrics. 

You wrote that you haven´t played for a while, was you in a bad mood or what was it? 

-Everything goes in waves, hat´s so all the time. Sometiems you can be really good att writing new songs and want to do it and go out an dplay live but after that comes a downperiod for a while to be followed by a new hungry time there you write 30 songs a day.

You comes from Norrköping, other good bands there( I like saidi and Kollektivet much

-Yes Saidi och Kollektivet is fucking good but ehre´s many other good bands like: Blå Häst, Roger Överallt (have precisly gone to the grave, but anyway), Mr Fisk and whole lot more.

In Sweden?

-Stefan Sundström is best without concurrency, Johan Johansson, Bob Hund, Charta 77, De Lyckliga Kompisarna, Asta Kask.

Does it feels like the singer/songwriter is a little bit of mutual admiration? 

-Yeah, but I think it´s usual when it´s about ”undergroundmusic” just because that it is a minority which listens/play for example punk, goth , singer/sonwriters and so on. But I think it´s a difference between this scene and the punscene. I think it´s a more open climat and a more Do it Yourself in the punk than it is in this style.

What have guys like Sundström, Winnerbäck and Lundberg done for the scene and this type of music?

-Sundström and Winnerbäck have I listened for a long time and they have sinpired me much. Especially Sundström when I ehard him the first time 1994 and that did that I wanted to do and write more music. I got a wowfeeling. Lundberg and I was meeting each other sometime 1996 and he´s one of my best mates. We have done some recordings together and we have fixed festivals and some singer/songwriterevenings. He have inspired me a lot of course. He´s a really good artist which writes really good songs. 

You have released some records, how come?

-Ueah, the shit must be spread and I want that the music will have wings not fetters. I write many songs and I record everything all the time so it have been a lot of record and cassettes.  

No record label whow ants you or haven´t you tried

-I haven´t tried so much. It have been some small companies which have been interested but it have never been anything. And I don´t know if there´s a dream either and I don´t think it´s any good distribution/advertisment behind the labels so is it not any difference,and then you can´t decide things yourself because the label must be there and stear. I think it´s better with DIY than being on Sony or Universal or something similar. 

The only thing that I have heard with you is your best of and I notice there that you mix a lot, is it important to not only stand in a corner when you music? 

-Yeah, I think so. If you lock yourself up in a style it´s soon boring. I want to have the most as oldmanrock, punk, folkballads and so on

The lyrics is important for you, is it difficult to come up with something new and write about

-Yeah, it´s difficult to do a lyric which you never have done before. I have surely copied myself a thousand of times. You can sum up my lyrics with politic, boredom and weekdaypoetry.

Which lyric of your own are you most satisfied with?

-It´s difficult to say but "Herr Kapital" is a really good lyric.

Who is the best lyricwriter in Sweden do you think?

-Stefan Sundström.

Do you do any covers or are you try to keep away from the usual stuff like Cornelis, Bellman and so on? 

-I sell my soul and body to the mammon sometimes but the money goes to my onw recordcovers and recordings and so on

I have a thought of releasing a tribute to Bellman, is it anything you can think of being on?

-Sure, I could be on a project like that. I have actually already recorded some Bellmansongs which could suit for that record.

You play both with a band and alone, which is most fun?

-Difficult question. Sometimes I´m alone with the guitar and then it´s more time for talking between the songs but when I play with the band which stand behind me a want to play more it´s more difficult to talk, they only want to do the next song, but both things are fun

Isn´t it a little bit maschochistic of you to put yourself alone in front of a lot of people? 

-Yeah, that´s true, but I love to stand there on stage so it doesn´t hurt me so much, actually.

Which types of people is it who comes on your gigs?

-Everything from dachshund to elderly people on my concerts actually. My music is going on well both on PRO(elderly people) or on the dogclub.

Please rank your five favouriterecords, five favouriteconcerts and five most important things in life?

-Favoruiterecords:

1. Stefan Sundströms all records.

2. De Lyckliga Kompisarna - Le som en fotomodell

3. Johan Johansson - Flum

4. Tuk Tuk Rally - Luftballong

5. Ac/Dc - Back In Black

Favouriteconcerts:

1. Stefan Sundström - Visfestivalen, Västervik 95

2. Bad Religion - Kåren, Göteborg (I think it was 97 or 98)

3. Lars Winnerbäck - Laxholmskällaren, Norrköping 97

4. De Lyckliga Kompisarna - Raj Harder 96

5. Magnus Uggla, Norrköping 90

The most important things in life:

1. My girlfriend Anna

2. The music

3. Pucko (the choccolatedrink I mean)

4. Swedish movie

5. To bath in a bathtub a cold autumnevening. 

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?

-The first record was "Twisted Sisters - Stay Hungry (I was 9 then and my mum and dad we´re really afraid of the heavy metal) the latest was  "Ola Magnell - Vallmoland" and the most expensive was "PeKåKå - PeKåKå" which cost as much as 300 swedish krona as an used record.

The most embarrassing record in your collection?

-SBD - På jakt

The record you bought just for the cover and you was so disappointed on? 

-It must have been some old heavymetal record which I don´t remember. 

How do you think it is to live in Sweden today and then I mean politically? 

-To hell. The socialists are bluer than ever and the middleclass still voting on them. To be a member in the socialist party is to be in a sect or to be in a sports club.

The middleclass are voting on them because that they´re used to do it and that´s sad. All government administration is sold out and become private. But something which is positive is that many new movements like “Attac” and so on is coming. Which talks about things that people are engaged in. The only thing which is sad  is that the not so big movements should go together and do something together instead. A sort of egoism is spreading all over the westworld and Sweden is maybe the next state in the United States of Egoland. But it´s a good climat to write songs in. I´m very thankful to that.

Is it much interview, is it boring?

-It´some interview now and then, but it´s only fun

Which is the question you wan´t to have but you never get?

-Which is your favourite food?

Pytt i panna.

What do you don in about ten years??

-Play the same fucking songs which I still can´t the lyrics on. Release homeburned records as I do know but with worser melodies and worser lyrics.   Pär Misär, Lasse Lagom, Klas, Ann-Sofie and Sara which is my songfigures have done everything in my lyrics as going to the moon, or died 45-times.

I have maybe two small children and I have an old PV which I drive around in. I still have the same work I think and I live surely in some redwineleftieshouse in the country and have it really good.

Futureplans musically?

-Look over here. Jokes apart, I will continue to do the things I do today and plays live as much as I can

And for you as an human being?

-Feel good.

Wisdomword?

-All can play!

Something to add?

-It´s fun with music!